Adding an additive to a meat product

Abstract

Method and device for treating meat products, in particular slaughtered poultry or parts thereof, in which an additive is added to the meat products. The meat products are mounted on product holders and conveyed an additive-adding device that treats the meat products with an additive. Thereafter, the meat products are further conveyed to a massaging device that massages the meat products.

1. A method for treating a meat product comprising meat, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning a meat product on a meat product holder of a conveyor device comprising a plurality of meat product holders movable along a conveyor track; 
 (b) thereafter conveying the meat product holder along the conveyor track and to an additive-adding device positioned alongside the conveyor track, wherein the additive-adding device comprises at least one jet nozzle; 
 (c) impinging an additive onto the meat product with the at least one jet nozzle so that the additive penetrates into the meat of the meat product while the meat product is held by the meat product holder; 
 (d) thereafter further conveying the meat product holder along the conveyor track and to a massaging device positioned alongside the conveyor track; and 
 (e) mechanically massaging the meat product with the massaging device while the meat product is held by the meat product holder, wherein mechanically massaging the meat product promotes distribution of the additive within the meat product. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the massaging device comprises projections provided on a rotatable shaft and wherein mechanically massaging the meat product comprises rotating the shaft so that the projections contact the meat product. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein mechanically massaging the meat product comprises blasting particles onto the meat product. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein mechanically massaging the meat product comprises directing air jets onto the meat product. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the meat product comprises poultry meat and wherein the additive comprises fat. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises using a detector positioned along the conveyor track upstream of the additive-adding device to detect at least one parameter of the meat product prior to treating the meat product with an additive and controlling the additive-adding device based on the at least one detected parameter. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises a weight, a shape, or a dimension of the meat product. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the meat product is not penetrated during treatment of the meat product with an additive. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising positioning the meat product in different orientations relative to the additive-adding device while treating the meat product with the additive. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the meat product holder comprises a rotatable holding head, and wherein the method further comprises rotating the meat product in different orientations while treating the meat product with the additive. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the meat product comprises a poultry leg and wherein positioning a meat product on a meat product holder comprises encircling the poultry leg with the meat product holder so that the poultry leg is hanging downwardly from the meat product holder. 
     
     
       12. A method for treating a meat product, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning a meat product on a meat product holder of a conveyor device comprising a plurality of meat product holders movable along a conveyor track; 
 (b) thereafter conveying the meat product holder along the conveyor track and to an additive-adding device positioned alongside the conveyor track, wherein the additive-adding device comprises at least one injection needle movable relative to the meat product holder; 
 (c) injecting an amount of an additive into the meat product with the at least one injection needle while the meat product is held by the meat product holder; 
 (d) thereafter further conveying the meat product holder along the conveyor track and to a massaging device positioned alongside the conveyor track; and 
 (e) mechanically massaging the meat product with the massaging device while the meat product is held by the meat product holder, wherein mechanically massaging the meat product promotes distribution of the additive within the meat product. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein injecting an amount of an additive into the meat product with the at least one injection needle comprises injecting the amount of the additive into the meat product with the at least one injection needle to a penetration depth, wherein the method further comprises controlling at least one of the penetration depth and the amount of the additive injected into the meat product. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the massaging device comprises projections provided on a rotatable shaft and wherein mechanically massaging the meat product comprises rotating the shaft so that the projections contact the meat product. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein mechanically massaging the meat product comprises blasting particles onto the meat product. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein mechanically massaging the meat product comprises directing air jets onto the meat product. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the meat product comprises poultry meat and wherein the additive comprises fat. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises using a detector positioned along the conveyor track upstream of the additive-adding device to detect at least one parameter of the meat product prior to injecting the meat product with the additive and controlling the additive-adding device based on the at least one detected parameter. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises a weight, a shape, or a dimension of the meat product. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the meat product is not injected during injection of the meat product with an additive. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising positioning the meat product in different orientations relative to the additive-adding device while injecting the meat product with the additive. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the meat product holder comprises a rotatable holding head, and wherein the method further comprises rotating the meat product in different orientations while injecting the meat product with the additive. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the meat product comprises a poultry leg and wherein positioning a meat product on a meat product holder comprises encircling the poultry leg with the meat product holder so that the poultry leg is hanging downwardly from the meat product holder.